


Killing Time

by Willowbrooke



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Case Fic - Sort of, Developing Relationship, M/M, Major Character Injury - Minor, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Murder Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-23
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-02-18 12:46:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2348918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willowbrooke/pseuds/Willowbrooke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>As James climbed back into his car, he began to mentally prepare himself for the challenge of these next couple of weeks.  He knew Lewis and he knew that this was not a man who would take kindly to being told what he couldn't do, not to mention the fact that he would be bored out of his mind in less than a day.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve had the idea for this story in mind for some time. Tremendous thanks to lamardeuse for beta service extraordinaire, particularly for helping me to fine-tune and clarify certain sections. Also, many thanks to ComplicatedLight for extremely helpful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this story. All errors from tinkering post-beta are mine.

Lewis heard the snap at the same instant the pain exploded in his ankle. He collapsed to the ground, releasing a startled cry of anguish. He followed that with a very loud and very clear expletive.

"Sir!" Hathaway, who had been running beside him, stopped dead and turned when his governor went down.

"I'm fine," his boss managed to get out through clenched teeth. "Go!" James appeared to hesitate only briefly before resuming his pursuit of the suspect who had just bolted on them. 

While Hathaway chased down their suspect, Lewis, through his pain, managed to call for backup and a paramedic. It wasn't long before James reappeared with the suspect in tow. The man was in handcuffs and James was dragging him roughly by his arm.

"Backup's on the way," Lewis said, his voice clearly indicating the distress he was in, in spite of his efforts to keep it even.

James nodded. "Is it broken?"

"Pretty sure, yeah. Stepped in a bloody hole." He gave the man James was holding onto a murderous look, which, probably for the best, went unnoticed as the man had his eyes on the ground.

"If you needed a rest, sir, all you had to do was say so." James' words were teasing, but the look on his sergeant's face gave him away. James was clearly concerned and trying to distract him, so he made the effort to play along.

"If I wanted a rest, Sergeant, I'd retire to some quiet little village and play draughts all day long with the other pensioners in the park."

"Always had you pegged as more of a backgammon man, sir." James smirked and Lewis smiled up at him as he heard the sirens approaching.

 

***

 

Lewis was relieved that the x-rays had, at least, provided some good news. It was a stable fracture and surgery would not be required. He would be in a boot for about six weeks and on crutches for at least two, but it certainly could have been worse. 

Innocent, as he should have expected, delivered the bad news. He spoke with her while he and James waited for the doctor to fit the boot. When he explained what the doctor had said, there was a pause on the other end of the line and he braced himself for what he knew was coming. "I'm glad it wasn't worse, but I'm putting you on sick leave for the next two weeks."

Lewis started to protest, but she cut him off and made it clear there would be no argument on the subject. "If you do as you're told and are sufficiently improved at the end of those two weeks, you can return to the office for desk duty until the doctor releases you for active duty again."

"With all due respect, ma'am, what am I supposed to do with meself for two weeks?" 

"I should think you'd be looking forward to a bit of downtime. Catch up on some hobbies. This isn't negotiable, Inspector."

He knew better than to argue with her when she used his title. "Ma'am," he said in frustrated resignation.

He gave James a summary of the conversation and his sergeant gave him a sympathetic smile. "Well, if you follow orders for the first few days, I'll see what I can do about getting some cold cases assigned to you. Give you something to focus on."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." Lewis took a deep breath and dialed Lyn's number. "Might as well get all the pain over with at once."

"Dad! This is a surprise."

"Hello, pet." After chatting about other things for a few minutes, he said, "Listen, love, I wanted to let you know that I've buggered me ankle a bit. Nothing serious, but I knew you'd be upset if I didn't tell you right away." He went on to give her details of the injury and what the doctor had said. 

"You shouldn't be on your own, Dad, and I _am_ a nurse. I should come down and stay for a few days."

Robbie could hear the worry in her voice and he knew that her offer was sincere, but he also knew that he would be grumpy and difficult and he didn't think he could cope with her fussing over him. He knew that it would be better for their relationship if she stayed away. 

"Thanks, love, but I'll be fine. You have your family to look after. Besides, James and Laura will be checking on me and I promise I'll ring you every day." After much discussion, she reluctantly gave in.

"Is James with you?" she asked suddenly. When Robbie indicated that he was, she said, "Let me speak with him."

Robbie was sure that this was not a good idea, but he handed his phone to James saying, "She wants to talk to you."

James looked surprised, and as he took the phone, he leaned closer to Lewis and held the phone so that they could both hear what Lyn was saying. Lewis placed a hand on James' shoulder briefly and nodded his thanks. 

James nodded back and spoke a hesitant, "Hello?"

"Hi, James. I know we haven't had a chance to meet yet, but Dad talks about you all the time so I feel like I know you." Robbie rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, same here."

"The thing is, I know my dad and I'm worried that he's going to overdo things. He hates being idle and I know that having to sit around all day will drive him mad. You work with him, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

"Yes. Yes I do." Lewis made a face this time as he rolled his eyes again. James smiled.

"He obviously doesn't want me to come down and that's fine, but I'm going to worry, so would you do me a favour?"

"Of course."

"Would you keep an eye on him and give me a call every couple of days to let me know how he's really doing? I know he'll dutifully report in to me, but I don't always trust that he's telling me the whole truth." Robbie was about to protest at this but stopped himself just as James put a hand up to shush him.

“Yes," James said distractedly. "Of course I will."

"Thank you, James. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I know Dad relies on you and if he trusts you, I know I can too. Let me give you my number."

Lyn read him the number and he programmed it into his phone. "Got it."

"Great. I really appreciate it and I hope we get a chance to meet sometime."

"Yeah, me too. I'll speak with you soon. Do you want to talk to your dad again?"

"Yes, please. And thanks again, James."

Robbie tried to put a light note in his voice as the father/daughter conversation continued for a few more minutes. When he hung up, he turned to James with a scowl on his face. 

"Bloody cheek. Treating me like a child. Told her I'd check in every day, didn't I?"

"You know it's only because she's worried about you. Besides, she's right, isn't she? You _won't_ tell her the whole truth." James grinned. "Apparently she thinks I will." 

Lewis gave his sergeant a grateful smile. "Thanks, man. I owe you a pint."

"I'll hold you to that once you're off your painkillers." 

 

***

 

Lewis was quiet and lost in thought on the trip home and James refrained from trying to make conversation as he focused on getting through the late afternoon traffic as quickly as possible. When he pulled up in front of Lewis' place, he hopped out quickly and came around to help his boss out of the car and into his house. 

Progress was slow, with Lewis in obvious pain and still getting used to the crutches. They were no more than halfway to the door when Millicent Cooper, Robbie's elderly next-door neighbour, was suddenly upon them. James guessed her to be close to 80, but she was still spry and obviously sharp. 

"Mr. Lewis! Whatever have you done to yourself?"

James heard the exasperated sigh that came from his governor and he hoped Mrs. Cooper hadn't. "No worries, Mrs. Cooper," Lewis said. "Just a little ankle injury. I'll be right as rain soon."

"Oh dear, you poor man!" she clucked. "You must keep it elevated and iced you know. My late husband, God rest his soul, stepped off a kerb wrong and twisted his ankle rather badly once. It took weeks to heal properly. I hope you have someone to look after you." She gave James a curious look and smiled. "Of course, I'm right next door, so if you need anything when you're on your own, I'm more than happy to help."

A glance at Lewis confirmed that his boss was trying hard to maintain his composure. He was clearly in pain and running out of patience. He watched Lewis paste a bit of a smile on his face as he responded through gritted teeth. "Thanks, Mrs. Cooper, but I'll be fine. Just need to rest and let it heal."

She appeared ready to launch into another round of advice and at this point James intervened.

"It's very kind of you to offer, Mrs. Cooper. I'll certainly let you know if there's anything Mr. Lewis needs." With that, James steered his boss towards the door and they made their way inside.

He helped Lewis get settled on the bed with his foot elevated on a pillow and a bag of frozen peas over the injured ankle. Lewis, who had let his head fall back against the headboard, looked drained and miserable and James understood that the physical pain was only partially responsible for that look. His boss was the sort who needed something to focus on every day and the prospect of two weeks with nothing to get his teeth into must be hard to face.

Lewis' voice sounded flat as he spoke. "Thanks, man, for getting me past Mrs. Cooper. She's lovely and I know she means well, but she needs to be taken in small doses. 

"When I moved in here a few months ago, she showed up at my door the first day with an apple pie and then proceeded to talk my ear off for close to an hour. The pie was delicious, but I've learnt since then that you have to cut her off before she can get started. Reckon she's lonely." 

He paused briefly and James waited for him to continue. "Her son just moved in with her after he lost his job in Exeter. I thought that might give her something to focus on, but nothing's changed really. Anyway, thanks for stepping in and thanks for...all this."

"All part of the service, sir." James smiled. "I think it's somewhere in the job description under the 'any other duties as assigned' category." 

He was pleased to see that his effort at cheering his boss actually elicited a chuckle and a murmured 'Smartarse' spoken to his back as he headed off to the kitchen to put the kettle on. He spent the next few minutes retrieving a couple of books, Lewis' mobile from his jacket pocket, some water, and the painkillers the doctor had prescribed. He placed them all on the bedside table within easy reach. 

As he returned with a mug of tea, he said, "You'll be able to take your next pill around 5 p.m. Is there anything else you need before I head back to the office? Our suspect is being held for me to interview and I'll have to do a report on all this." 

"Thanks, but I'll probably sleep most of the afternoon."

"Dr. Hobson said she'll stop by with dinner for you tonight as I'll be stuck in the office for awhile. Can I take your house key for her so that she can let herself in?"

"Yeah, 'course. Makes sense. And you still have the key that I gave you for emergencies?"

"Yes, I do. Call if you have any issues, all right? I'll be back later this evening to help you get ready for bed." 

As James climbed back into his car, he began to mentally prepare himself for the challenge of these next couple of weeks. He knew Lewis and he knew that this was not a man who would take kindly to being told what he couldn't do, not to mention the fact that he would be bored out of his mind in less than a day. It would definitely not be an easy time, but James was grateful the injury had not been worse. He would do what he could to help his boss get through it, and he hoped to stay out of the line of fire in the process.


	2. Chapter 2

James and Laura worked out a schedule for the next few days so that one or the other would be checking on Lewis at least three times a day. James stopped round in the mornings to help get things organised for the day. He also made sure that his boss had something for breakfast. Laura took care of lunch. They took turns with the evening meal and both did their best to provide some entertainment. 

After the first night, Laura reported back to James. "Fair warning that he is in no mood to be entertained. I tried cards but he wasn't concentrating and he let me win every hand. When I suggested a board game he gave me a look that had me seriously wondering if he might be capable of murder. I finally gave up and left him settled on the sofa with his foot on a pillow, watching a cricket match. I wish you better luck."

James rose to the challenge and the next night, he brought along a book to read aloud. He had spent considerable time making the selection from his bookshelf. Most of the books he owned were not suitable, of course, as he was after something light and humourous. He was just at the point of admitting defeat when his eyes fell on a book on the bottom shelf. _Perfect._ He smiled as he stuffed it in a carrier bag along with the ingredients for the evening meal.

Lewis was mostly quiet during dinner, though he did appear to enjoy the egg and chips that James had made as a treat, knowing it was a comfort food for his boss. Once James had finished the washing up, they settled on the sofa and James began reading from "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in his best, exaggerated American accent.

"'You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter.'" James put extra emphasis on 'ain't.' "'That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth. That is nothing. I never seen anybody but lied one time or another, without it was Aunt Polly, or the widow,'" James pronounced this 'widda,' "'or maybe Mary. Aunt Polly -- Tom's Aunt Polly, she is -- and Mary, and the Widow Douglas,'" this time he was rewarded with a quiet chuckle from Lewis, "'is all told about in that book, which is mostly a true book, with some stretchers, as I said before.'"

As he continued reading, he glanced up occasionally to gauge Lewis' reaction. His boss seemed to be enjoying it and was listening intently. Of course, whether it was the actual story or James' performance, James wasn't sure, but the fact that Lewis was smiling was the important thing. 

An hour passed quickly and as James set the book aside he looked up to see that his boss was looking at him with a strange expression on his face. 

"You missed your calling, lad." Lewis said as he shook his head and chuckled. "You should have been on the stage." 

James smiled. "And miss out on the opportunity to be your bagman? Fame and fortune would be a poor substitute for the thrill of days spent in your company, sir."

Lewis laughed. "Glad you have your priorities straight." He was suddenly serious. "Look, I know I've been a right old misery guts the last couple of days and I'm sorry. I appreciate everything you and Laura are doing for me and I've been doing my best to follow the doctor's orders, but I feel so bloody useless." 

"No apology necessary. I don't imagine that I'd be doing any better in your situation. And I know I needn't tell you that following doctors' orders and not overdoing is the best way to ensure that you will be back to work as quickly as possible. Give it another day or so of your best behaviour and then I'll bring you some cold case files to work on."

"Yes, Mum." Lewis smirked. "Will you read me another bedtime story tomorrow?"

James laughed. "Since you asked so nicely, how can I refuse? We'll keep going with this one, but I think I'll make you read the next bit. I'd pay good money to hear Geordie-American."

 

***

 

By the end of the fourth day, Lewis' boredom appeared to be getting the best of him and he was beginning to drive everyone else mad.

"How many times has he phoned you today?" Laura asked as she poked her head into the office shared by the two men.

"Counting the two in the last half hour?" James asked. "Somewhere around ten, I think."

Laura smiled. "I've always known he likes you best. He's only rung me eight. And apparently he's even called Jean a few times."

"Yes, I know. She informed me that as he is my governor, it is my responsibility to find a way to keep him occupied. Unfortunately, she refuses to assign any cold cases to him as she says it's called 'leave' for a reason." 

He smiled slightly and continued. "Apparently he's also taken to spamming everyone's email by forwarding the latest round of humourous videos and heroic animal stories. Gurdip explained to him that every time those messages are forwarded again, his email address is also getting forwarded and he was risking it being picked up and used by real spammers. At least that seems to have put a stop to the emails." 

"Well, I certainly hope you can come up with something for him to do. Let me know what I can do to help." With that, she turned and walked down the hall.

 _Well, you could help me think of something for a start._

Surprisingly, Lewis had continued to enjoy their reading time, but that was only an hour or so in the evenings. James knew that cold case files would help and regardless of Innocent's edict, he would take a few tonight, but he needed something else that would hold Lewis' interest for a longer period of time. 

He glanced down at his desk and saw the stack of old classic film DVDs that Julie had brought in for James to take to their boss. He began absentmindedly flipping through them while he applied his brain to the problem. He stopped flipping and looked again at the titles of the last two in the stack. He smiled as a rather unique plan began to form in his mind. It would be difficult, but it just might work. He picked up the phone and dialed Dr. Hobson's number.

Once he had given her an overview of his plan, her response was immediate. "You've outdone yourself, Sergeant. That's brilliant, even for you. Whatever you need me to do, I'm there. I can't wait to see how it plays out."

Next, he dialed Lyn's number to update her on her dad and to get her input on the idea. She also responded with enthusiasm, so he began to plot out the details.

 

***

 

He arrived at Lewis' that evening with a few cold case files, the DVDs from Julie, and Lewis' favourite Indian take away. While they ate, James listened patiently while his boss enlightened him on some of what he had discovered while surfing the internet that day.

"Did you know that you can use mayonnaise to cover up water stains on furniture?"

"Erm, no. I didn't know that."

"Aye, and vinegar in a spray bottle will kill the weeds coming up in the cracks of your front path." 

"Well, I'll remember that if I ever move somewhere with a front garden." James was sure his boss was going to continue with his litany of unusual uses for everyday items, so he spoke again before he lost his chance. "Julie sent along some great classic films including a couple of John Wayne westerns. How about if we take a break from the book and watch one this evening?"

Lewis allowed himself to be distracted. "Yeah, alright." He looked through the stack and selected 'Rio Bravo.'

 

***

 

As the credits rolled, Lewis felt more relaxed than he had for the last few days. He'd let the film distract him and he had very much enjoyed it. And knowing that tomorrow he would have something interesting and productive to occupy his time helped his mood as well. 

He glanced over at James, slouched down with his head leaning back against the sofa, arms crossed on his chest and his long legs extended out under the coffee table. The lad looked unusually peaceful and settled and Robbie suddenly had an overwhelming urge to reach out and brush a stray bit of tousled hair back into place. He was actually starting to move his arm to do it, when he realised how inappropriate that would be.

It wasn't so much his wanting to touch James that surprised him. For some reason, there had never been much need for personal space between them, but the intensity of the desire to touch was new. As was the _way_ he wanted to touch. He wasn't thinking about the casual brushing against each other as they walked, or a hand resting briefly on an arm or a shoulder. Perhaps sensing that he was being watched, James turned to look at his boss. The look he gave Robbie was hard to interpret, but it felt as if James knew exactly what he was thinking. Robbie quickly recovered his senses and said, with a bit of a sigh, "They don't make films like that anymore." 

James shuttered his expression too and he gave nothing more away as he smiled. "No, they don't. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Do you need help with anything else this evening?"

"Nah. Doing all right on my own with most things now." 

"Right, well I think I'll be on my way then. I've set the files on the table by your laptop."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"I thought I might pop over and update Mrs. Cooper on my way out. Maybe that will keep her from ringing your doorbell quite so often."

"Won't hold my breath, but it's worth a try." He thought about the number of times in the last few days he'd had to slowly and carefully make his way to the door to accept soup, cookies, and flowers from her garden. 

When James left, Lewis moved with effort to the window by the table so that he could watch as his sergeant walked next door and rang the bell. This window had a direct view into Mrs. Cooper's living room and beyond to the hall. He watched them walk into that room and sit. At one point, Lewis saw Mrs. Cooper clap her hands together and laugh. When her son, Damian, entered the room, James rose and shook his hand. James remained standing while they all spoke a bit longer and then Lewis saw James pull out one of his cards and hand it to Mrs. Cooper. 

She followed him to the door and a moment later, he was moving through her front gate. He waved in Lewis' direction as he walked towards his car and Robbie held up his hand in response. As he stepped back from the window, he thought again about that odd incident earlier and especially about the way James had looked at him. It was clear that something was changing between them, but he wasn't quite sure he was prepared to deal with it.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day passed quickly for Lewis as he focused on the cases. He still made several phone calls to James, but they were now all case-related. It felt good to be doing something useful again, even if his foot was propped up on a chair and the ankle was aching a bit.

Laura arrived after work with the ingredients to make a chicken stir fry. While she worked to put it together, Robbie sat nearby and was quite animated in his discussion of the cases he had reviewed that day. He had found a couple of things that had been missed and he was quite pleased about it. 

She smiled as she said, "You must remember to thank James for sneaking those files to you." 

Lewis immediately lost the smile he had been wearing. "You mean James didn't have permission to bring me these files?" 

The look on her face told him that she knew she'd put her foot in it. She hesitated a moment before she spoke. "Actually, he had direct orders not to. For some reason, our lovely Chief Super seems to think that you'll delay your recovery if you expend any mental energy on work." 

"I don't understand why she thinks my brain has to be idle for my ankle to heal. Reckon I do owe him, then. Was on the verge of losing my mind."

"We noticed." She smiled as she served up their stir fry. "I have no idea why she wouldn't want you to help out with these cases, but James knew you needed this. And it may not be my place to say anything, but since you seem to be oblivious, I hope you know that he'd do anything for you, including risking the full weight of Jean Innocent's wrath." 

Robbie stared at her, a bit confused. "Course. I know he would and I'd do the same for him."

She looked at him strangely for a moment before smiling and shaking her head. "Honestly, Robbie, I sometimes wonder how you ended up with a successful career as a detective. Come on. Let's eat before it gets cold."

Lewis let the subject drop, but he filed her comments away for further review. They shared casual conversation as they ate and Laura left soon after dinner as she had an orchestra rehearsal that evening. Before Robbie could give much thought to Laura's strange remarks, James arrived.

"I've brought you a few more files and I've got Julie looking through CCTV footage from the old Baker case to see if she can find anything related to the timing issue you noticed. Think you'll owe her a drink once you're back." 

Lewis nodded and said, "And it sounds like I may owe _you_ one as well."

At James' confused look, Lewis explained. "Laura tells me you brought these files to me without Innocent's approval."

Robbie knew that James was an expert at hiding his thoughts and emotions behind a blank expression, but he saw a brief glimpse of -something- on James' face before the shutters came back down. Guilt, maybe? Embarrassment? That didn't make sense, but the lad looked genuinely uncomfortable that Robbie knew what James had done for him.

James was quiet a moment before he spoke. "Well, I know you've been bored out of your mind and I knew you needed something to focus on. It's what I've been assigned to do while you're out on leave and it just seemed unnecessary to deprive you of the fun. I know you'd have done the same for me. Besides," he ducked his head down as he finished his sentence, "we’re always better as a team." 

Lewis hadn't begun to process his feelings or the strange undercurrents, first from Laura, and now from James, so he went with his natural reaction to that statement and smiled at James as he replied, "That we are, lad, thanks." 

They sat in their usual places in the middle of the sofa, close enough so that when one moved, they jostled the other. Robbie had always found that natural and comfortable, but with the unsettling thoughts he'd been having, it wasn't quite so relaxing tonight. 

"So," James began, seemingly unaware of Robbie's thoughts, "tell me what you think we need to follow up on tomorrow."

Lewis was happy to abandon his internal musings for the time being and they spent the next hour discussing the cold cases. He had brought some of the files from the table and referred back to them as James took notes regarding things that needed to be investigated further. Their conversation became quite animated and Lewis very much enjoyed it and the feeling of normality it produced. 

Once James had gone, Lewis slowly made his way over to take a quick look at the new stack of files his sergeant had placed there, still deliberately avoiding the subject that was at the front of his mind. He happened to glance out the window and noticed Mrs. Cooper and her son having a serious conversation in their living room. He watched briefly and then turned out the light and headed for the bedroom.

As Robbie settled into bed, he finally gave his mind over to the subject he had been avoiding for some time. He couldn't say exactly when his feelings for James had changed, but he knew that it had happened gradually over a period of time. The incident on the sofa the other night made it clear, however, that he could no longer ignore those feelings. And perhaps he was beginning to understand and maybe even accept them for what they were.

It had been obvious from the start that the two of them shared a naturally close and easy relationship. They'd had their differences over the years, of course, but at the end of the day, they would walk through fire for each other. Hell, he had actually done that, hadn't he? He had risked his life to save James from the flames in Zoe Kenneth's flat. And by distracting Paul that day at Crevecoeur, James had done the same for him, and ended up taking a bullet in the process. 

But what did all of that have to do with deeper feelings? That's just what partners do for each other, especially ones as close as he and James. But his partnership with James had never been of the usual inspector/sergeant sort. There was a depth to their relationship that Robbie had only ever felt before with Val, and he suspected that James had never had that kind of relationship with anyone.

Robbie had understood years ago that he could be just as attracted to men as he was to women. ‘Bisexual,’ ‘flexible,’ ‘swing both ways.’ He knew all the terms, but he’d never cared much for labels and once he’d met Val, it didn’t matter anyway. She had been the love of his life and then suddenly, she was gone. 

Now he wondered if it might be possible to share that kind of deep and lasting bond with James. The man could be infuriating, stubborn and prickly as a hedgehog, but he was also one of the most caring and kind-hearted people Robbie had ever known. He had once told Laura that James was an awkward sod at the best of times, but that he was ‘his’ awkward sod. 

He would always love and miss Val, but he realised now that he loved James too and he reckoned it was time to do something about it. 

But did James want that? Of course, Robbie couldn’t know for sure, but he suspected that he did. There had been many times when he had caught his sergeant looking at him and occasionally, before James could put that blank mask of his back in place, Robbie would swear that what he saw in James' gaze was longing. And the look that had passed between them the other night had certainly been charged. Now he just needed to figure out how to get them both to where he knew they belonged. 

He rolled onto his side to try to sleep. As his eyes focused on the empty space on the other side of the bed, he let himself imagine what it might be like to have James lying there. Of course that thought put all kinds of images into his head. Images that began with slow, sensual kisses and ended with them falling asleep wrapped in each others’ arms. It was thoughts of what would happen in between those two things that kept him awake for quite some time.

 

***

 

The new cases James had brought him provided a much needed distraction the next day. Not only a distraction from his physical limitations but also from the unsettling thoughts about his sergeant that had been turned loose in his head. It all made him long for a real case. Something that would occupy his mind completely and let him focus on one thing only.

It was late afternoon and he was sat at the table engrossed in one particular case. He'd had spells of dizziness off and on all day. He was feeling a bit muddled now and finding it hard to focus. He'd been taking both painkillers and anti-inflammatories for a few days and since he rarely took pills of any kind, he reckoned the combination was catching up with him. At least today was the last day for the painkillers.

When the words began to blur, he gave up on the files and headed to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. He had just settled on the sofa, resting his head against the back with his eyes closed, when James rang to talk through a possible lead in one of the cases. Lewis stood slowly as the room swam a bit and moved back to the table to pull the file James was asking about. As he paged through the file, he glanced up to see that Mrs. Cooper and an older man he didn't recognise were having tea in her living room.

He interrupted their discussion to comment on it. "Looks like Mrs. Cooper is occupied this afternoon so I don't think I'll be getting a visit from her today."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she's got a gentleman visitor and they're having tea. Nice that she's found someone else to talk to."

At that precise moment, the man's face took on a look of alarm. He quickly set his cup down and clutched at his throat. A few seconds later, his head fell back against the chair and his body went limp.

"Bloody hell!"

"What?"

"James! Get an ambulance to Mrs. Cooper's. I'm going over."

"Sir! Wait!" James shouted into the phone. "Your ankle! Stop, please, and tell me what's happening."

"The man she's having tea with," Lewis managed to get out. "Something's wrong." As he continued to watch, he saw Mrs. Cooper carefully set her own cup down, stand up slowly, and walk over to the man. Lewis expected panic, but what he saw was a calm assessment of the man's condition. At that moment, Damian came into the room and the two of them stood talking calmly, looking down at the man. No effort was being made to try to help him.

"Sir? What's happening? Is there an emergency?"

Lewis' focus was riveted on what was happening next door and he couldn't speak. 

"Sir?"

The next thing Lewis saw was Damian reaching for the man's wrist. He seemed to be looking for signs of life. Damian nodded to his mother. She turned briefly, just enough towards Lewis that he could see the smile on her face. As she turned back, Damian walked behind the man's chair, pushed him forward so that he could grab him under his arms, and proceeded to drag him out of the room while Mrs. Cooper calmly gathered up the teacups. Robbie was sure that the man was dead.

"No. It's too late. Get over here now."

"I'm on my way. Promise me you'll stay put. Don't do anything until I get there."

"Aye, I'll stay put, just get here."


	4. Chapter 4

James arrived fairly quickly and he let himself in with his emergency key. Julie was just behind him. "Sir! What's happened?" James made to turn on the light above the table but Lewis stopped him.

"No. Don't want them to know I've seen anything." He quickly explained what had transpired in his neighbour's living room. James listened, occasionally glancing out the window into the room that was well lit now, but empty. Julie was taking notes.

"I know it sounds daft, but I know that bloke is dead and it appeared to be premeditated murder." Robbie felt dizzy again suddenly and quickly sat down. He reached up and massaged his forehead which was beginning to ache now as he tried to wrap his head around what had happened. "I know it makes no sense, but I saw it."

James was watching him closely and it was clear to Lewis from James' expression that the lad was concerned and confused. Hell, he didn't blame him. "So, how would you like to proceed?" James asked. "Do you want us to go over?"

Lewis thought for a moment. "Yeah, go. We've got probable cause to search the house, but –“ He knew James was waiting for him to finish, but he was suddenly starting to have doubts about it all. His brain really was foggy now and he was beginning to wonder if he'd misinterpreted what he'd seen. "But don't tell them what you're looking for," he finished. 

James was now staring at him in obvious bewilderment. "Sir? Are you alright?""

Robbie nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just been feeling a bit foggy today. I think those pills I'm taking are making me brain fuzzy and I'm starting to wonder if I really saw what I thought I saw. Just get over there and see what you make of things. I don't care what you tell them, but find a way to get them to let you have a look round."

"Right." With that, James and Julie left and Lewis soon saw Mrs. Cooper walking past the window moving towards the front door. 

They all quickly appeared in Lewis' view standing in the hall beyond the living room. Mrs. Cooper was listening and nodding as James spoke. Damian showed up then and they must have given permission for the two officers to look around because James and Julie soon moved in opposite directions out of his sight. He caught glimpses of them moving about during the next ten minutes or so. 

Eventually, they met back up in the hall and spoke with Mrs. Cooper and Damian again before they left. He saw James and Julie talking outside for a few minutes before James headed back to Lewis' and Julie walked to her car.

"Well?"

"Julie and I looked all over the house and garden. No body and nothing unusual to report. There were three teacups in the dish drainer in the kitchen. I asked Mrs. Cooper if she'd had any unusual visitors in the last couple of days. She said that she'd had an old friend over for tea this afternoon and that was the only visitor she'd had all week. They both seemed perfectly normal and we didn't see anything out of place."

Lewis nodded and was quiet for a bit as he thought back through what he had seen. Granted, he was feeling a bit heavy headed and disorientated today, but could he really have got it so wrong?

"No," he said, finally making up his mind. "There's something not right. Something I'm missing. I know what I saw and I can't just let it go."

"No, of course not, but promise me you won't do anything on your own. If that ankle doesn't heal properly, you could be laid up a lot longer than these two weeks."

"I won't do anything on my own. But I'll be keeping an eye on them, that's for sure."

"Of course. You should. And I can be here quickly if you need me, so let's leave it there for tonight, alright?"

"Yeah, alright. Appreciate your help." He chuckled. "I'm sure Julie thinks I've gone mad." 

"I'm sure she doesn't. She's worked with you long enough to trust and respect you."

Lewis nodded, feeling somewhat placated and James continued. "Right. No point in my going back to the office this late. How about if I see what I can find for us to eat?"

They sat on the sofa while they ate the last of the vegetarian shepherd's pie that Laura had brought over. They were discussing the incident next door when Lewis suddenly made a face, looking down at his fork.

"Don't know why people have to mess with good food. What's wrong with a little meat? Not really shepherd's pie anymore, is it?"

James gave his boss an indulgent smile that made Lewis' heart skip a beat. "Just a few more days, sir, and you'll be back to a bit more normal routine."

"I've almost forgotten what normal feels like," he said with feeling. "The ankle's been enough of a disruption, but it's not every day you find out that the sweet little old lady next door could be a cold-blooded murderer." _Or, you realise that you fancy your considerably younger, very male sergeant._

"Stranger things have happened," James replied and it took Lewis a minute to grasp that James was responding to his comment about Mrs. Cooper, not to his unspoken thought.

Once James had left, Lewis searched until he found the small binoculars he kept for his occasional bird watching. His head was feeling better now and he stationed himself at the window by the table, all lights out, waiting for something to happen. 

He didn't have to wait long before he saw a light come on in the back garden just after 10 p.m. He couldn't see over the fence, but he saw sporadic movement reflected in the light and the silhouette of what appeared to be someone wielding a shovel. He debated about calling James, but what was he going to say? _You know the murder I saw this afternoon? Well, Damian's now burying the body in the back garden._ No, he would wait until he had something more substantial than a bit of movement in the light. If Damian _was_ burying a body, it wasn't going anywhere and he would have time to gather more evidence. 

The back garden light stayed on for about half an hour. When it went out, he saw a light come on in the kitchen briefly and he saw Damian walk past the window. The kitchen light went out and soon after, a light in an upstairs room came on. He assumed it was a bedroom. When that light finally went out, he gave it up and made his way towards his own bedroom.

 

***

 

Fortuitously, Mrs. Cooper stopped over the next day to drop off a loaf of freshly baked pumpkin bread. Robbie thanked her and invited her in for a cup of tea. The irony of that was not lost on him, but it would be an opportunity to talk to her and observe her reactions.

As they sat with their tea, she spoke before he could start the conversation he had in mind. "That sergeant of yours is such a nice young man; so polite and well spoken. And he's certainly very devoted to you." 

"Aye, he's a good lad. Reckon we make a pretty good team." 

"Yes, I'm sure you do." She smiled. "He's quite handsome as well."

"Suppose he is." Robbie laughed uneasily. _Not her and all._ And yet, he found himself encouraging her. "Dr. Hobson says he's 'dishy.'" 

"Well, she's right, isn't she?" Mrs. Cooper grinned at him and continued. "You're fortunate to have someone like him to spend your time with and you seem to get on so well. I know it can get lonely living on your own." She paused a moment before continuing. "I know there are lots of people my age who are very closed-minded about...things, but happiness is hard enough to find without worrying about little details, don't you think?"

She was aware that Robbie's wife had died and he knew that was part of the reason why she made an effort to bring him home-cooked treats on a regular basis. In spite of what he had witnessed, he believed that she was genuinely concerned about his welfare. And now it appeared that she was matchmaking for him as well. He was beginning to feel as though he must have stepped into some sort of weird alternate universe. It was disconcerting enough to think that the kindly old lady next door might be a murderess, but now, she was very obviously suggesting that she thought he and James would make a nice couple. 

He gave himself a mental shake as he changed the subject and refocused on his reason for inviting her in for tea.

"So, I imagine it's been nice having your son with you."

"Oh, yes, it's been lovely, but I do wish he could find another job. He's got a lead on something in Birmingham so we're hoping that sorts out and Birmingham's not too far away, is it?

"No, no it isn't. I'm sure it's hard for him, trying to find things to occupy his time here." He had begun to think that maybe Damian was the instigator in this and that he might have coerced his mother into helping him. 

"Well, he does like to keep busy. He's been digging some new flower beds for me in the back garden these last couple of evenings."

 _Or burying a body that might have been hidden in the garden shed, which James and Julie maybe didn't check?_ "Does Damian have friends here in Oxford?"

"One or two, but most of his old acquaintances have moved on."

“What type of work is he in?”

“He’s an insurance fraud investigator. I know it sounds exciting, but he says it's mostly paperwork, which is a relief to me. I don't like to think about him having to deal with the sorts of people who would try to defraud insurance companies."

This made Lewis' ears perk up. Maybe Damian had gotten himself into a situation with some unsavoury character that caused him to lose his job? Maybe he had convinced his mother that the person they had poisoned meant to harm him? Lewis would ask James to check into Damian's background and employment history as soon as possible. 

"It's always difficult to lose a job," he said sympathetically, "and I'm sure he's grateful that he's been able to stay with you while he looks for something else."

"Yes. He's hopeful about this job in Birmingham, but I must admit, I've gotten used to having him around and will miss him when he's gone."

Lewis noted that Mrs. Cooper was beginning to tense a bit, but he persisted. "I imagine he's met some interesting people in his line of work."

"Well, he's told me a few stories, though I suspect that he keeps the most interesting ones from me." She quickly swallowed her last sip of tea and set her cup down on the coffee table. She was definitely looking nervous now. "I'm afraid I really must be on my way. Thank you for the tea and I hope you enjoy the pumpkin bread."

Once she had gone, Lewis phoned James and filled him in on the conversation. 

"I agree that it's certainly worth looking into Damian's background," James said. "I'll get on it right away and let you know what I find out. And, sir?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember that you have a broken ankle that needs to heal. I understand that this is a stressful situation for you, but if anything comes up, call and let me deal with it, alright?" 

Lewis couldn't help feeling a bit pleased that James was so concerned about his welfare. 

"Promise I'll behave." he said with a smile. "Scout's honour." 

 

***

 

James informed him that evening when he arrived with dinner that he had found nothing of interest in Damian's background search. He had no criminal history, he had an exemplary work record, and he had lost his most recent job due to routine staffing cuts based on seniority. 

Robbie was disappointed that nothing obvious had shown up, but he continued his intense surveillance of his neighbours for the next few days. Apart from Damian spending time in the back garden in the evenings, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. He was just about ready to accept that in his disorientated state, he might have misinterpreted what he had seen or perhaps he had not seen anything at all. Still, he couldn't quite let it go. There was something niggling at his mind about it all, but damned if he could figure out what it was.


	5. Chapter 5

Friday arrived and Lewis was at last coming to the end of his forced two-week leave. James had picked him up that morning to take him to his doctor’s appointment where he received the good news that healing had progressed very well. The doctor had given him the okay to start walking in the boot and to return to desk duty on Monday. It was the best news he could have gotten.

"It will be nice to have you back, sir," James said as they were driving back to Lewis' place. "The office has been far too quiet. I've found it difficult to concentrate without hearing your periodic cursing at the computer, or the exasperated sighs at yet another person's incompetence that seem to come regularly from your side of the office." 

He paused briefly and added, "In fact, I've even begun to miss the sound of endless stacks of paperwork hitting my desk as they're being cleared off of yours."

"Cheeky sod." Robbie smiled and as he glanced at James, he saw the beginnings of that unique and very endearing half-smile that James seemed to reserve just for him. Once again, Robbie had to stop himself from reaching out to touch. Soon, he hoped, he would no longer have to stifle those urges.

Over the last couple of days, he'd come up with the beginnings of a plan for how he might move things forward with James. Laura was fixing dinner for him tonight since James had band practice, so it would have to be tomorrow.

"In spite of your insubordinate comments," Robbie began nervously, "I feel like celebrating, so why don't you come over to mine for dinner tomorrow night? Can't be on me feet to cook just yet, but I guess I didn't really do much of that before, did I?"

James laughed. "No. But maybe that's for the best."

"Keep on with your smartarse remarks, sergeant, and I might just change my mind." 

He shot James a mock look of disapproval and James looked suitably contrite. "Sorry, sir. I must say you do make a mean beans on toast."

Robbie chuckled at that. "All right, so I'm not the best in the kitchen. Actually, I thought we might get takeaway from that fancy new Thai place that just opened. I've heard good things about it. My treat. I owe you at least that much for all you've done for me these last couple of weeks."

James seemed pleased. "Not necessary, but it sounds good, thanks. And since you're well off those painkillers now, I'll bring the wine."

When James dropped him back home after the appointment, they agreed that he would arrive early the next afternoon so that they could spend some time discussing a couple more leads they had found on one of the new cold cases they were working. 

 

***

 

Robbie kept glancing at the clock, feeling more than a little nervous about how things might play out with James tonight. Now that he had finally admitted to himself what he wanted, it was all up to James and, though he felt that James was interested, the uncertainty was damned nerve-wracking. 

The doorbell went at about half one and his heart leapt into his throat. _Daft sod, it's only James._ He took a deep breath and hobbled to the door.

As he opened it, James gave him a genuine, unguarded smile as he held up the carrier bag he had in his hand. That smile caused Robbie's breath to catch.

"Didn't know if we'd want white or red with the meal, so I've brought one of each." 

"Guess we can decide that later," Robbie said as he stood aside to let James in while, at the same time, getting his thoughts and emotions under control. James made his way to the kitchen where he put the bottle of white in the fridge.

They spent the next hour engaged and focused on the cases. Files were spread out in front of them on the coffee table as they discussed potential leads worth following, while ruling out others. 

As they came to a transition point in their discussion, James pulled out his phone to look at the time. "It's almost three." He stood and stretched. "Time for a break, I think. I'm going to put the kettle on. Why don't you check and see what's happening next door. I know you want to. You keep glancing that way, so go and do it. I'll bring your tea to you there."

While James was in the kitchen, Lewis made his way to the window. He was surprised to find that Mrs. Cooper had another guest for tea, another older gentleman he didn't recognize. "James!"

James appeared from the kitchen with a look of concern on his face. "What is it?" He made it to the window just in time to see the gentleman in Mrs. Cooper's living room clutch at his throat and go limp.

"Damn it!" Lewis shouted. "I knew I should have pursued this harder. Get over there while I call for backup." 

"In a minute," James replied calmly. "There's something I need to do first." James pulled out his phone, dialed a number and waited.

"What?!" Lewis was staring at him, incredulous. Didn't he understand what was happening?

The words James spoke into his phone were even more confusing. "Thanks everyone. Another excellent performance. It's time for your curtain call."

Lewis stood gawping at him as the younger man put his phone back in his pocket. James smiled and placed his hand on Lewis' shoulder as he nodded toward the window, causing his boss to turn back to the scene in Mrs. Cooper's living room. Suddenly, the man who Lewis thought was dead sat up and appeared to be laughing. Damian and Mrs. Cooper were also laughing. They all stood, faced Lewis' window, waved, and bowed in his direction.

Lewis was completely nonplussed. He heard James chuckle behind him, so he turned to ask for an explanation. He found himself so disconcerted that he was momentarily unable to form a coherent sentence. His sergeant pointed back at the living room and as Lewis turned back in that direction, he now saw Laura and Julie there as well. They both smiled and waved and Laura blew him a kiss. And wasn't that Innocent standing beside Laura?

It was all a bit too much and he collapsed into the chair by the table. At this point, James began to look more than a little concerned. "Are you all right, sir?"

Moments passed as Lewis sat quietly, noting that James was hovering over him with a rare look of uncertainty on his face. Lewis was trying to process what had just happened, but found himself at a complete loss to understand any of it. He took a deep breath and finally found his voice. "Would you care to tell me what this is all about?"

James, still looking a bit unsure, nodded. He walked over to the stack of DVDs that Julie had sent, and pulled two out. He returned to where his boss was seated and set the first one on the table in front of him. It was Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Window.' The second one he set down was 'Arsenic and Old Lace.' Lewis stared at them for a moment. He looked from one to the other and suddenly, the penny dropped. 

His face must have given away his dawning understanding because James looked somewhat relieved. He pulled out the other chair from the table and sat as he began his explanation.

"It was clear those first couple of days you were cooped up here that you were going to go mad without some distraction and you were determined to take us all with you. I knew the cold cases would help, but what you needed was a real case to get your teeth into. The day Julie brought those DVDs in, I was flipping through them and came across 'Rear Window.' By coincidence, the next in the stack was 'Arsenic and Old Lace.'

"I knew that Mrs. Cooper's living room faced your table and I knew that she wanted to do something to help. It was, admittedly, a slightly daft idea, especially combining the two plots, but I thought that if it worked, we might be able to give you an interesting case to focus on without anyone actually getting hurt. I laid it out for Dr. Hobson and she was all for it."

Lewis was listening intently as James continued.

"That first night when I stopped over to update Mrs. Cooper on your ankle, I outlined the plan for her and Damian and asked if they would be willing to play along. Mrs. Cooper was enthusiastic, but worried that it might upset you. Dr. Hobson paid her a visit the next day and convinced her that you would enjoy the game. We spent the next couple of days putting it all together."

As Lewis thought back over the last week and a half, a question suddenly occurred to him. "But how did you know I'd be looking out the window at exactly the right time?"

James smiled. "You'll recall that I rang you just before that first incident to talk about one of the cases. I asked you to check something in one of the files so I knew you'd be at the table. You confirmed it for me when you mentioned Mrs. Cooper's visitor. Dr. Hobson was in the office with me and as I signaled to her that you were in position, she made a quick call to Damian and they began their rehearsed scene." 

"And you reminded me about my ankle to keep me from rushing over there." James nodded. 

"When Julie and I went next door, we made a show of looking around the house and while I was there I talked with the Coopers about the idea of Damian going out into the back garden for a bit each evening, hoping that you might think he was digging a grave." James smiled at that, but he was beginning to look uncomfortable. Lewis nodded now and though he wanted to say something, nothing appropriate came to mind.

 

***

 

James swallowed hard and took a moment to collect his thoughts. He had been so sure that Lewis would immediately see the humour in this little charade and understand that the whole thing had been concocted to provide him with a distraction while he had been laid up. Judging by the blank look on Lewis' face, however, and his matter-of-fact questions, James was beginning to fear that he had seriously misjudged his boss' reaction. He glanced back out the window briefly, took a deep breath and continued.

"When I found out yesterday that your doctor had given you the okay to return to the office on Monday, I knew that we needed to wind this up. It made sense to do that when I would be here to witness it. So, when I went to the kitchen just now to make tea, I sent a message to Dr. Hobson letting her know that you were watching, and she set the denouement in motion."

Lewis continued to sit quietly, staring down at the floor and James' heart sank. He really had made a huge error in judgment then. A knot began to tighten in his stomach and he knew he had to say something to try to explain. "Listen, sir, I'm sorry, I..." He stopped mid-sentence when Lewis finally looked up and James saw the hint of a smile on the man's face. 

Lewis began shaking his head in disbelief as his smile widened. "Absolutely bloody brilliant," he said as he started to laugh. "Well done, lad. Only you could have come up with something so complicated and yet so perfect."

The relief James felt was palpable and he began nervously laughing too. "God, you had me worried. You were so quiet, I thought you were angry."

"Gobsmacked more like. Took a few minutes for it all to sink in. Must say I'm happy to know Mrs. Cooper isn't a murderer. When she stopped over for tea the day after that first incident, I tried to reconcile what I had seen to that sweet lady, especially when all she wanted to talk about was..." Lewis let that sentence hang.

"What?"

"Nothing, really. It's just that she seemed genuinely concerned about me, so it's a relief to know that wasn't an act."

"If you feel up to it now," James began, "Mrs. Cooper has coffee and cake waiting for us next door. She wanted to do something to celebrate your recovery."

Lewis stood and put his hand on James' shoulder. "Well, we’d best get over there, then."

 

***

 

Robbie greeted a nervous Mrs. Cooper with a big smile and a peck on the cheek. "I'm very relieved to know you're not actually poisoning lonely old men."

Apparently realising that he had, in fact, enjoyed their little deception, she visibly relaxed and smiled back at him. "Good heavens, no! I could never do anything like that. Besides, I think I'd be more inclined to try to find them someone to fall in love with." She touched his arm and gave him a conspiratorial wink. James was the only one close enough to see it and Robbie felt himself blush slightly under James' confused and curious gaze.

He moved off quickly to shake hands with Damian. "My apologies, man, for everything I was thinking about you and for asking my sergeant to look into your past. I must say, I'm pleased that you're not burying bodies in the back garden."

"No, apology necessary and no, I've not buried anyone in the garden," he laughed. "As Mum told you, I was turning new flower beds for her. It gave me something productive to do while I was playing my part. I'm glad we were able to help keep you entertained."

Behind him, James quickly spoke up. "Actually, sir, as both Damian and Chief Superintendant Innocent are aware, I never actually ran a background check. It was all part of the deception. Besides," he continued, glancing quickly at Innocent, "I would never misuse police resources like that." Robbie was sure that he saw a brief smile touch Innocent's face before she gave James a skeptical look that implied she did not believe him for a moment. 

Mrs. Cooper next introduced them to the latest 'victim,' a man named Jonathan Harvey, who happened to be one of Laura's neighbours. He told them he hadn't had this much fun in years.

After visiting with Mr. Harvey for a few minutes, Robbie greeted Julie and Laura. He turned to Julie first. "Well, I must say, you played your part well."

"Thank you, sir. It was fun. We'll all be glad to have you back at work on Monday."

"Thanks, Julie. I'll be glad to be back."

He gave Laura an affectionate smile. "Might have known you'd be right in the middle of this."

"Ah, but strictly as an accomplice," she said as she smiled back warmly. "This was all James' little scheme and I have to say, I think he outdid himself."

Finally, he greeted Chief Superintendent Innocent. "Ma'am. How much of this were you aware of?" 

Her gaze settled on James for a moment before she turned back and smiled at Robbie. "Well, Sergeant Hathaway here wisely confessed everything after we had a little discussion about him sneaking those files to you. And though I certainly don't condone my officers disobeying my orders, once he explained the whole scheme, I must admit, I was intrigued and curious as to how it would all play out. And you really did need to be distracted, Robbie. Honestly, you were driving us all mad."

She focused her gaze on James once more and said, "Still, I hope I've made it clear, Sergeant, that there will not be a next time and I hope it's also clear that nothing gets past me in my own nick."

"Yes, Ma'am," James replied, lowering his eyes to the floor. "Very clear." 

"Good, now I understand there's cake."

James looked relieved as Mrs. Cooper quickly chimed in, "Oh yes. Please, everyone have a seat and I'll be back shortly with coffee and cake." 

"Let me help you, Mrs. Cooper," Laura said as she followed her to the kitchen while everyone else found places to sit.

Much laughter and conversation about James' inspired plan followed as they all enjoyed their coffee and the delicious carrot cake Mrs. Cooper had made.

Robbie suspected that Laura was doing a little matchmaking of her own as he watched Mrs. Cooper and Mr. Harvey enjoying each other's company. Robbie caught Laura's eye briefly and she gave him an innocent look.

 

***

 

The new Thai place more than lived up to the buzz it was getting. The food was excellent as was the bottle of white that James had brought. James appeared to be enjoying it all as well. Conversation throughout the meal was casual and mostly focused on the mock murders. 

"I've got to hand it to you, lad, coming up with a scheme like that. Can't believe what a convincing murderer Mrs. Cooper turned out to be. I knew there was something that was 'off,' but I couldn't quite put my finger on it."

"Well, I’d hoped you'd be desperate enough for distraction that you might overlook some of the obvious inconsistencies."

"You gave me a real case to focus on _and_ you disobeyed a direct order from Innocent to bring me those files. It seems less than enough, but thank you." Robbie held up his glass in a toast to James. 

They had always been able to communicate well with just a look, and as their eyes met and held now, Robbie allowed all of the new feelings he was experiencing to show in the look he gave James. He watched carefully as James' eyes first seemed to reflect his dawning awareness of the look, followed by surprise and uncertainty. Underneath it all, though, Robbie saw a glimmer of hope. _Good. It's a start._

James seemed a bit flustered as he raised his glass in a return salute and he proceeded to down the remaining half glass in one swallow. Robbie laughed. "Right, well I suggest we get these dishes cleaned up and move to the soft seats."

"I'll take care of it, sir, you should sit." James rose and began gathering the dishes.

"James." Robbie reached out and put his hand on James' arm. James stilled instantly and glanced down at where Robbie's hand was touching him. Robbie stilled briefly too, as the warmth of James' skin registered. He reluctantly withdrew his hand and continued his thought. "I'm allowed to walk now and after all the bloody hours I've spent sitting on my arse these past two weeks, I'm going to take every opportunity to move about, even if it's to do the washing up." 

James smiled and nodded. "Fair enough." They cleaned up the kitchen together and then took the bottle of red with them as they settled on the sofa.

Robbie watched as James filled their glasses. He once more sensed an unusual tenseness in the other man, which was understandable given this new undercurrent working between them. He suddenly wondered if it was possible that James was uncomfortable with the situation. It didn’t seem likely, but he couldn’t ignore the possibility. He would need to be completely convinced that this was something James truly wanted before things could go any further. 

He watched as James raised his glass in a toast. 

"Congratulations on making it through two weeks in the trenches, sir."

Robbie laughed as he touched his own glass to James'. "Would never have managed to stay sane without you, you know." He hoped James would note that he had said 'without you,' not 'without your help.' The distinction was important.

"And, maybe," he continued, "when it's just the two of us, sitting here like this, you could lose the 'sir' and try 'Robbie?'"

James turned to face him now and their eyes locked once more. This time, to his great relief, Robbie saw all of the emotion and desire he himself was feeling reflected in James' eyes. 

"Robbie," James said softly, tentatively. Lewis knew that the next step was up to him and his mind flooded with options. In the end, he simply held out his hand, inviting James to grasp it. He heard the sudden release of a breath that had been held as James reached out and grabbed Robbie's offered hand. 

Robbie slowly changed the grip on James' hand around so that their fingers now intertwined and locked together, just as their lives had gradually done over these last few years. Their bond had always been a strong one, but they were about to embark on the next chapter of their relationship. He sincerely hoped that it would take them to a new level of connection and intimacy. He chuckled as he realised that the 'entwined fingers' metaphor was one James would be proud of. 

"What?" James gave a small, hesitant laugh.

"Just appreciating my own cleverness. Deep thoughts worthy of James Hathaway."

"Ah, that _is_ a memorable occasion. We should mark it on the calendar. Care to share those thoughts?"

"Aye, smartarse. Want you to be impressed too, but later. I've got other things on my mind right now." 

Robbie was suddenly serious. "Before we go any further here, James, we need to be clear about something. What does or doesn't happen next is entirely up to you, of course, but especially given the nature of our working relationship, it’s important for me to say that I would never want to put you in a position where you felt pressured to do something you didn’t want to do.”

James was serious too. “You would never do that.’

“Not deliberately, no, but this is too important to bugger up, so I’m asking permission. Would it be alright if I kissed you?” 

The look on James' face was, for once, easy to read as his eyes lit up and a slow smile appeared. He turned and set his wine glass on the table and Robbie followed suit. James reached up and traced the line of Robbie's jaw with his fingers and brushed his thumb lightly over Robbie's lips. Robbie could feel James hand trembling slightly as he answered Robbie's question. "Never close your lips to those whom you have already opened your heart." 

Robbie let out a relieved laugh. "Does that James Hathaway ‘quote of the day’ mean yes?"

James gave a slightly nervous laugh in return. "Yes. God, yes. Yes to the kiss. Yes to much more. Yes to anything and everything with you. Never doubt how much I want this, Robbie."

Robbie smiled. "That's what I needed to hear." He leaned in then to kiss James, but before he could make contact, James’ lips were on his, reinforcing his words with a hungry and urgent kiss that made it very clear he’d meant what he said. Their next kisses progressed from hungry to breathtaking, and then, to deep and passionate, leaving no doubt in Robbie's mind about James' desires.

As they pulled back to catch their breath, Robbie broke the silence. 

"Well, now," he began, briefly resting his forehead against James' and smiling like the cat that got the cream, "reckon we owe Mrs. Cooper a nice dinner out. And we'd probably better include Laura in that."

At James' confused look, he explained. "A bit slow on the uptake, me, but having these two weeks with plenty of time to think, and with a little encouragement from a couple of unlikely sources, I finally admitted to myself what I now know I've wanted for quite some time. Reckon I just needed a little push to make it happen."

James smiled and Robbie continued. "Mrs. Cooper says I'm lucky to have you in my life. Always knew it, but I didn't realise how much luckier I could be." He glanced down at their still-clasped hands.

To his credit, James appeared to be keeping up fairly well considering that Robbie had given him no real indication of his feelings before tonight. 

"I would have waited patiently for you to figure it out, you know, no matter how many years it took," James said, smiling down at their clasped hands as he continued. "Though at a certain point I fear that my conjugal visits to the nursing home may have amounted to my trying to wake you from one of your endless naps for a rare bit of sex that would have ended up being mostly one-sided."

Robbie laughed out loud at that. "Cheeky sod." He released James' hand long enough to get a different grip and then guided James' hand to the bulge that was clearly evident in Lewis' trousers.

"Don't think _that's_ going to be an issue now, do you? Unless you're worried about a problem on your side."

James offered up a rare spontaneous laugh in response to that. "No, _sir_. Most definitely not a problem on this side." He reciprocated Robbie's gesture. Robbie, realising where his hand was now, was filled with a level of desire he hadn't experienced in a very long time. 

"Glad to hear it," he said as he reluctantly withdrew his hand and stood. He picked up their two glasses and started walking. He was a few steps away when he said, "Course, it’s entirely up to you, but it seems to me that this conversation might be a whole lot more interesting in the bedroom, don’t you think?"

"Yes, sir. I couldn’t agree more." James smiled as he grabbed the bottle of wine and rose to follow. 

Robbie was now halfway down the hall as he said over his shoulder, "And you bloody well better not 'sir' me in bed." He suddenly stopped dead and turned back to look at James. "On the other hand, might actually like that." 

As Robbie resumed his trek towards the bed, he smiled as he heard James' delayed reaction and snort of laughter as he quickly followed Robbie into the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> James' quote in the final chapter is from Charles Dickens' 'Pictures from Italy.'
> 
> If you are unfamiliar with the plots of 'Rear Window' or 'Arsenic and Old Lace,' here are the wiki links with information about each film. 
> 
> [Rear Window](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rear_Window)
> 
> [Arsenic and Old Lace](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_and_Old_Lace_\(film\))


End file.
